About RPA

Ethics in Education Policies & Procedures

Our Code of Ethics for the Education Profession rests on three principles: valuing the worth and dignity of every person and the pursuit of truth and excellence; prioritizing student development and sound professional judgment; and holding the highest standard of conduct with colleagues, students, parents, and the community.

Obligations to students

Protect students from conditions harmful to their learning or physical/mental health and safety.
Avoid unreasonably restraining a student's independence in learning.
Never intentionally suppress relevant subject matter.
Never intentionally embarrass or disparage a student.
Protect students' legal rights.
Prohibit harassment or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, nationality, ethnicity, political belief, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or family background.
Never exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain.
Keep personally identifiable student information confidential unless disclosure serves a professional purpose or the law requires it.

Obligations to the public

Distinguish personal views from the institution's official positions.
Never distort or misrepresent educational facts.
Never use institutional privileges for personal gain.
Never accept or offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that could influence professional judgment.

Obligations to the profession

Maintain honesty in every professional interaction.
Never deny a colleague professional benefits based on a protected characteristic.
Protect colleagues' civil and political rights.
Avoid harassment or discrimination that creates a hostile environment.
Accurately represent professional qualifications, with no fraudulent applications.
Self-report an arrest involving child abuse or controlled substances within 48 hours.
Self-report a conviction (excluding minor traffic violations) within 48 hours.
Report known violations of Florida School Code or State Board of Education rules.

Annual training

All instructional personnel and administrators complete annual ethics training covering code violations and penalties, identifying and reporting child abuse, self-reporting criminal charges, disqualifying offenses, and role-modeling expectations.

Reporting misconduct

Staff and administrators are required to report misconduct affecting a student's health, safety, or welfare. Contact our director at (305) 783-9846.

Any suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect must be reported to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE or online at dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report. Anyone reporting in good faith is protected from civil or criminal liability under Florida law.